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Dead Frontier/Issue 125
This is Issue #125 of Dead Frontier, titled New Breed. This is the fifth issue in Volume 21. Issue 125 - New Breed Daniel, Tora, and Lucy hear another burst of gunshots from somewhere in the hospital. They're deciding whether they should delve back into the unpredictable depths of the upper floors, or risk waiting here. Lucy halts her pacing at the sound of the shots and turns to Tora and Daniel. Tora still sits next to him, asking him periodically how his hand feels. “Those sounded closer,” Lucy points out, and Tora nods. “They might be coming down…” Tora adds optimistically. They decide to wait a little longer in the desolate lobby. The oddly beautiful view from outside the window, showing a long stretch of Nebraska countryside and a few small buildings, reveals a few infected roaming out in the distance. Lucy shifts her eyes back to the window every few seconds, keeping track of their position. Soon, the door to the stairwell bursts open, and Duke, Dean, and Adam come tumbling out. Tora stands immediately from her chair. “Thank God you guys--” she begins. Duke cuts her off. “We’re getting the fuck outta here,” he says. “Let’s go.” She’s caught off guard by his bluntness, frozen in her same spot as a million questions spin through her head. Dean grabs her by the arm and pulls her along, and Lucy and Daniel follow. No questions are asked until they get to the truck. Duke wastes no time stuffing the key in the ignition and starting up the vehicle. He slams on the gas, and they speed out of the infected-coated lot. “What the fuck was that?!” Dean says, his voice only a few notches from a full on scream. “That was like a--a new breed or some shit. Holy…” Lucy, Tora, and Daniel don't respond as they fall into a few seconds of confusion. “New breed? What the hell are you talking about?” Lucy asks. “It screams a-and it runs, and Duke fucking shot it but it’s like--it didn’t even phase it. Took a bullet like a fucking bulldozer. Holy shit, man.” Dean runs a hand through his hair and takes a deep breath. “He’s not fucking around,” Adam says. “This thing had...red eyes. Completely red and black. It didn’t growl, either--it screamed.” “Headshot still killed it,” Duke points out. “Fucker ain’t immune to that.” His frantic eyes move to the rearview mirror, and he spots Daniel’s bandaged hand. “What happened to him?” “Bite,” Daniel says simply. Duke nearly slams on the breaks, but stops himself. Daniel takes a heavy breath and formulates an explanation before he, Dean, or Adam can freak out too much. “Just a couple of my fingers. Tora...amputated ‘em. She says I’ll be fine.” “You sure?” Duke asks Tora. “...Not entirely,” she replies. “I’m fine--I feel fine,” Daniel says quickly. “I don’t feel any different. Don’t feel an infection or anything.” His words don’t put them at ease. Instead, they pull the truck into a tense silence. ---- It’s late afternoon, about time for everyone else to be back, and Cole waits patiently, leaning against a large tree. Their small, temporary camp is still as everyone else resides in their tents. The entrance of one of the tents far out and directly opposite him zips open, and Hunter emerges. Even from here, Cole can tell his face is red and sweaty, and he paces around impatiently. Cole would walk over if he could, but he doesn’t have to, because Hunter meets his gaze and stomps over. The closer he gets, the more Cole’s nervousness escalates. “You’ve got to help me,” Hunter says once he gets within a few feet. He grabs Cole by the shirt--it’s not a hostile gesture, conveying more desperation than anything. But Cole is still wary, given that hateful glint in Hunter’s eye. Cole raises his hands defensively. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down,” Cole says gently. He nods slowly, prompting Hunter to let go. Hunter takes a few steps back, seemingly knocked out of his wild state, and he mutters an apology. “It’s alright. What’s the matter?” Hunter stalls, takes a step forward, and opens his mouth to speak. His words fail on the first try, but he makes another attempt. “I’m going to kill him,” Hunter says quietly. “I can’t--” He cuts himself off, takes a breath. He starts over again. “Knowing he’s right there. I keep thinking about Karen and how she could--she could be here. My child could--” Again, he pauses. “I’m going to do something I regret. I really am, but I can’t stop myself--” “Calm down, first of all,” Cole says. Hunter nods vehemently and wipes his palms on his jeans. “You’re not hurting anyone.” Hunter nods, but it’s not convincing. His eyes dart around, eventually finding their place on his holster. He removes his pistol and hands it to Cole. “Take this. I--I don’t want it anywhere near me, I don’t want to even think about using it,” Hunter spills out, and Cole takes the weapon. Cole’s not sure what to say, not that he knows Hunter is completely serious about getting rid of Cedric for good. He felt bad for Hunter before, but this is something different. Hunter’s look makes it clear that that itching for revenge hasn’t died down, and it probably never will. But something is still making Cole side with him. An overwhelming sense of sympathy, for one. The murderer of his wife and unborn child is just living a few feet away--what sane person wouldn’t want some kind of revenge? “Don’t lay a hand on him, okay?” Cole warns. “It’s better for you--it’s better for everyone.” Cole lowers his tone, seriousness unmistakable. “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. Don’t fuck it up. And I’ll keep this for you.” He holds up the gun. “Th-thank you. I don’t want to hurt him--I just--” “I know. Stay with me, don’t think about it,” Cole advises, and Hunter nods again. ---- Cedric turns in the tent and sees that Farrah has dozed off. A wild idea pops into his head, and he soon scolds himself for even thinking it. Maybe he should speak to Hunter himself, try to quell some of this animosity while he can. It’s mostly for himself, too. If he apologizes, he hopes he’ll be able to rid himself of some of this guilt. So he sits up, then puts his hand to his head as his surroundings start to spin. He composes himself and silently crawls out of the tent. Farrah doesn’t stir. As soon as he exits, he sees Cole and Hunter sitting together at a far off section of their camp. He’s a little less worried when he sees that Hunter isn’t alone. Hunter notices movement out of his periphery and snaps his head to the right. His blood boils at the sight of Cedric’s wobbly figure. Cedric shields his eyes with his hands, and Hunter rises to his feet. “Cedric! What the fuck are you doing?!” Cole shouts to him. Cole grabs onto Hunter’s sleeve and tries to pull him back down, but Hunter tugs his arm away. “Hunter!” Cole manages to rise to his feet, but he doesn’t dare move far. Instead, he places a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. Seeing Cedric has ignited something different in Hunter. It’s a rage that’s overwhelming, and when Cole grabs onto his shoulder, he spins angrily. “Give me it,” Hunter demands, and he looks down to Cole’s waistband, where the pistol he gave Cole earlier is secured. “Hunter, think about this--” Cole says, but Hunter grabs him by the shirt and reaches for the gun. He takes it successfully and pushes Cole to the ground. Cole lands on his backside, and he watches helplessly as Hunter makes his way toward Cedric. Cedric hasn’t even said a word yet, but he knows this was a mistake. At least, he thinks it is at first. He hasn’t realized how terribly his guilt has been building since that day he ran over that woman, but now, it becomes clear. He ruined three lives, all in the span of a few seconds. What has he ever done to repay that debt? Why does he deserve to be here? So he holds his ground. Hunter, eyes flaming, lifts the pistol and presses it against Cedric’s forehead. “Hunter!” Cole screams out again. A few tents open up, and Jake and Ivy emerge. They freeze at the scene, and soon, Farrah appears right behind Cedric. It takes her a moment to figure out what’s going on, still half asleep, but she catches on quickly. She decides not to pull her pistol, out of fear that Hunter might do something drastic at the slightest move. “Hunter,” she says calmly, but he doesn’t react. Hunter doesn’t know what he’s waiting for. This is the prime moment, and Cedric’s staring him down, practically accepting his fate. But his finger wavers over the trigger. He flinches when Farrah takes a step forward. “Hunter, please,” she says. She raises her hands in a conciliatory gesture. “If you hurt him, you’re hurting everyone else here.” “I don’t care,” Hunter spits out. “If you kill him, you’re out. You’re done. Do you realize that?” “''I don’t care''.” “You’re not pulling the trigger because you do care.” Hunter flinches but keeps his hold on the pistol steady. “Hand it over.” She takes another step forward, and a bit of his resolve crumbles. He’s able to think more clearly now, and every possible consequence is clear to him. He drops his arm so the barrel is pointed toward the ground, then holds the weapon out to Farrah. She takes it quickly, but carefully. Hunter makes a disgusting sound in the back of his throat and spits directly in Cedric’s face. He turns away as Cedric wipes his face with his sleeve. “Get back in the tent, Ced. Come on,” Farrah says kindly. He sighs and turns, back in the tent in a matter of seconds. She walks over to Cole and extends her hand out. He takes it, and she helps him in getting to his feet. “You okay?” “Yeah,” he says, wiping some bits of grass and dirt from the back of his pants. “Can you--uh...help me…?” He gestures to a tree stump, and she takes his arm and sets it over her shoulders. It takes a little while, but she eventually gets him over and he sits on the stump with a sigh. “Thanks.” He stretches his leg out and winces. “Do we tell them about this when they get back?” “I think we have to,” she says. “They find out about this, everyone’s voting against him.” “Are you?” “No. I mean, I know he’s...unstable. Whatever you wanna call it. But I can’t--I can’t blame him. He’ll be dead out there, too. Anyone would, by themselves.” “I’m not against him, either.” He looks up, surprised. “You’re not?” “I’ve known him longer than anyone here. He hasn’t killed anyone in his life. Point out anyone here, there’s a big chance they’ve done a lot worse than him.” Cole continues working out his leg, and she takes a seat on the grass next to the stump. “We’ll defend him, okay?” “Yeah.” There’s a long pause, until Cole asks. “What happened?” It’s so easy to tell she empathizes with Hunter, that there’s some kind of relatability there. Behind her eyes, it’s easy to tell she’s thinking about it, so she’s not surprised when he asks. He’s probably heard enough terrible things in his life, so she decides not to beat around the bush. “Let some shady guys fuck me so I could make enough money to kill my best friend’s murderers,” she says flatly. Cole freezes, then scratches his head awkwardly. “Oh. Damn…” “They’re dead. I’m happy. It all works out.” She stares out into the trees emotionlessly. “I should probably keep an eye on Cedric.” She stands, and then turns to look at him before walking off. “Am I gonna have to come back to move you or…?” He laughs. “No. I’m fine. Thanks,” he says, and offers her a wave. She smiles, stuffs her hands in her pockets, and turns away. ---- The truck rolls up about an hour later, and Adam, Duke, Dean, Tora, Lucy, and Daniel rush out. Their looks are a mix of exhaustion and shock. However, everyone has returned, which eases some of the worry. Daniel’s hand needs immediate tending to, so Tora pulls him off to her tent. Adam exits the passenger seat and sits against the hood. He runs a hand across the top of his head and sighs. He’s still trying to fully understand that...weird infected. Its eyes were the most chilling part, and that scream. He’s never seen anything like it, and he begins to wonder, are there more? Others just like it, and possibly even more dangerous? Maybe it’s a Nebraska thing and once they’re out they won’t come across any more. He hopes, at least. His heart still pounds from the encounter, and he turns his head into the heart of camp. After returning from another near-death encounter, now he has to deal with this, all of this drama surrounding Hunter. He really isn’t in the mood, but he stands and walks over. After about ten minutes, he’s able to gather everyone in the center, the tents surrounding them in a circular formation. Hunter stands calmly with his hands behind his back. He’s not sure what the verdict will be, but he’s prepared for either option. “I’m not gonna dart around it,” he begins once everyone is quiet. “He’s a problem.” Adam looks to Hunter, and Hunter gives him a respectful nod. “I don’t want him here. But it’s not my choice.” Farrah locks eyes with Cole, and then his eyes turn to the ground. It’s clear he’s not going to mention Hunter’s altercation with Cedric. She’s surprised Cedric doesn’t speak up other, and she’s not really expecting any of the kids to say anything. It’s all on her. She knows revealing that Hunter actually put a gun to Cedric’s head would incriminate him further, possibly be the thing that gets him kicked out. She doesn’t want that guilt on her conscience. “He’s staying,” Cole says firmly, his hands clasped behind his back. All heads turn to him. “He won’t hurt Ced.” “How do you know that?” Adam asks. “I just do.” “You’re basing your decision off of a hunch?” “I’m basing it off the fact that Hunter is a fucking human being, living in the same place with the person that ruined his life. I’m not blaming him for being pissed off. And we’re not kicking him out because of it.” “It’s not a single person’s decision--” “I won’t let it happen.” “Look, Cole, I get you’re...passionate about this, but everyone gets a vote if they want it and majority rules.” “Who agrees with me, then?” A couple hands rise: Lucy, Tora, Farrah, and Daniel. “Okay. Five.” “Who wants him out?” Adam asks. Adam raises his hand, along with Duke, Dean, Lienne. Adam looks to Cedric, expecting him to raise his hand and, therefore, cause a stalemate. “Ced?” Cedric looks around at the curious faces, confused by his hesitation. Is Hunter really the problem here? What has he done that Cedric can blame him for? Absolutely nothing, as far as he’s concerned. He deserved every punch, every kick, every stomp that Hunter supplied him with. “Let him stay,” Cedric says. There’s a short silence, and Adam hesitates. He can’t argue with the man’s choice. “Okay,” Adam says with a shrug. “If that’s what you want.” ---- With a 6 to 4 vote, Hunter’s free to stay. A close call like that and he’s bound to feel some relief; in no way does he forgive Cedric, but that vote was a step in the right direction. Night is falling, and they’ve decided it’s their last night in this camp. Hunter spots Cole and Lucy leaning against a far tree, chatting, and he feels suddenly grateful. He realizes how stupid he was thinking he’d be able to survive out on his own, and he hates himself for letting his emotions get so worked up. He approaches them with a wave. “Hey,” Lucy says, smiling at him. He smiles, too, and looks to Cole. “Pardon me if I’m interrupting anything,” Hunter says. “I just need to apologize to Cole and thank him. Thank you both, really. Sorry about earlier.” Lucy has no idea what he’s apologizing for, but Cole nods, knows he’s referring to the shove from earlier. “It’s cool,” Cole says. “And thank you for--what you said. I appreciate it. Really.” “Don’t mention it, m--” Cole begins, but he’s cut off when Hunter embraces him. Cole laughs and Hunter pats his back and releases him, gripping his shoulders. “Thank you,” Hunter repeats. He looks at Lucy. “Ah, you can get one, too.” She laughs, hugs him, and he gives her a ‘thank you’ as well. He rests a hand on her shoulder and looks between the both of them. His gratitude is so apparent, he doesn’t have to give thanks again. “I’ll see you two around.” He provides another sincere smile, and he’s off to his tent. “Told you he was a good guy,” Lucy says. “That was a great hug,” Cole says. He watches as Hunter almost has a skip to his step. Cole hopes he’s realized his mistake and doesn’t do anything else to nearly ruin his spot here. Because Cole can tell there’s some goodness in him. ---- “Why’d you vote against Hunter?” Ivy asks. She again sits with Lienne in the tent, and this time Jake accompanies them, still admiring that crossbow. “Do you hate him?” “Of course not,” Lienne says with a small laugh. “If he can...chill out I’d be happy to let him stay. But it looked like he wasn’t. I didn’t want him hurting anybody.” “She’s right,” Jake says, and he looks up. It’s the first time he’s spoken since they’ve retreated into the tent. He came only because Ivy invited him. Ivy furrows her eyebrows at him. “Didn’t you...kill Roxie or whatever? Because--” she asks. A tremor of anger flashes across his face. “That’s different,” Jake spits back. “Hunter could’ve g-got us all killed f-firing that shot. I wouldn’t hurt a-anybody here.” He suddenly turns to unzip the tent, then shoots another stare at Ivy. “And don’t e-ever mention that a-again,” he demands. “You hear me?” “Jake, she didn’t--” Lienne starts. “Don’t do it again.” He glares at Ivy until she nods nervously. He leaves the tent without another word. “Don’t worry about him. He’s weird,” Lienne says, forcing lightheartedness. Ivy still looks apprehensive, a little guilty. “Hey.” Ivy turns her head toward her voice. “He’s really sensitive about it,” Lienne adds. “Don’t feel bad, okay?” Ivy nods and her eyes drift to the tent’s exit. ---- Daniel sits in his tent with Tora. She did a pretty terrible job wrapping his hand the second time, so she tries again, now that her anxiety has subsided some. She cuts the bandage, happy to see no more blood is seeping through. “Never thought I’d say this in my entire life, but thanks for cutting off my fingers,” he says. She grins, and he lifts his hand up to examine the bandage. “Not too bad. Thanks.” “You’re welcome. How are you feeling?” she asks. “Pretty good. Alive. Hand hurts, but that’s about it.” She can tell it’s the truth: it’s been a few hours and he hasn’t shown any signs of turning. His complexion is vivid, his eyes the same. She begins putting away the supplies. He pretends to inspect his hand, but then looks up at her as she puts the bandages into a bag. “Can I ask you something?” She looks at him. “Everything okay?” she asks. “Yeah. Great. I’ve just been wondering if you remember…” He cuts himself off with a chuckle, and he suddenly feels ridiculous. He’s in his forties--smitten. That’s behavior for someone half his age. “I kissed you because I thought you were cute, Daniel,” she says. He’s not sure how she knew that’s what he was referring to. But he rolls with it anyway. “Then I realized I have a lot of baggage and that was probably a mistake.” She sighs and zips up the bag. “So do I. About the baggage stuff, I mean.” “I know. We all do.” She pauses and looks down in her hands. “It’s more like I haven't been in a relationship in...years.” He frowns at how her face falls. “When...my daughter died, my husband left me. And I never really...looked around.” This completely baffles him. “What--he left you after something like that?” “Mhm. Packed his bags right in front of my face a month after she passed.” She tries to say it indifferently, but it’s obvious she’s been harboring this pain for a while. “I can’t blame him. I was miserable, depressed--no one wants to be around that.” “I can blame him and I will. What an asshat...Jeez. And I think you’re a pleasure to be around. Forget whatever he says.” “I-I’m better now. That’s why. It was really bad back then.” “Well, you--you lost your kid. I can’t even imagine…” He cuts himself off and shakes his head. He was never a parent, but the thought of it makes his stomach curl up. “How old was she?” “Seven,” Tora says. ---- “Hey, Miya,” Tora says as a nurse leads her into the hospital room. A frail little girl lies on the bed. Her head is bald and she’s connected to all kinds of wires and machines. She looks absolutely exhausted but smiles at the sight of her mother. Tora takes her purse and sets it next to the chair adjacent to the bed. She gives the girl repeated kisses on her forehead, eliciting a quick giggle that turns into a cough. Tora sits in the chair and grabs her small hand. “So, how was your day?” Tora asks. “Okay,” Miya says. “I had to stay here all day.” Tora frowns. “Why?” “They said I couldn’t go downstairs today.” Downstairs, where the rest of the sick, dejected kids can finally have some fun in the large playroom that resides on the lower floor. Miya’s never been denied access before, and Tora instantly knows that this is another bad sign. Tora sighs, forces a smile, and leans over to grab her large purse. “I brought some stuff for you. So it won’t be all bad.” Tora pulls out a few books, thin and filled with pictures. Miya smiles at them, flips through them eagerly. Tora spends a good half hour reading to her, putting on goofy voices and expressions that make her chuckle. And she periodically looks at her watch. Miya notices this once. “When’s daddy getting here?” “He was supposed to be here. He might be busy.” Her chest tightens at Miya’s effort to hide her disappointment, so she pulls out her cell phone. “I’ll call him, okay?” She rises from the chair, moves to a far corner of the room. She scrolls through her contact list, and taps on the name ‘Ken.’ “Hello?” a gruff voice answers after a few seconds of ringing. “Are you coming today?” she asks. “I--I got caught up in something at work. I can’t make it.” “Ken.” “I shoulda called you. Sorry.” “You need to see her--” “'''I’m caught up in something'. Why the hell you’d have to go and bring me up, anyway?”'' “I didn’t. She asked about you,” she says. She turns to look at Miya, who averts her eyes when she meets her mother’s gaze. “I’ll be right back,” she says to Miya, and she slips out the door and into the empty hospital hallway. “I can’t make it,” he says. “Did you know they couldn’t move her from the bed today? She’s getting worse, I think.” “I’ll make it tomorrow.” “She wants you here today.” “How many times do you want me to say it?! I can’t be there. My boss’ll tear me up if I--” “I think he’ll make an exception for your kid, Ken.” “I’m the only one making any fucking money here,” he shouts into the receiver. That one hits hard. After losing her job a few months ago, she’s honestly relying on him for all income. “I can’t just not do my job, okay? I love her, too, and I wanna see her, too, Tor, but it’s more complicated than me up and leaving work. Just tell her I love her for me.” There’s a long pause from her end. “Say something.” “I can’t believe you,” she says. “Oh, whatever. You’re the one that--” She hits end call and pockets her phone. She returns to the expectant Miya, plasters on a smile, and takes a seat on the chair. “He can’t make it today. But he’ll be here tomorrow. He promised.” Category:Dead Frontier Category:Dead Frontier Issues Category:Issues Category:Walkerbait22's Stories